Division-indicator for mechanical musical instruments.



PATBNTED MAY 10, 1904.

F. 0. WHITE. DIVISION INDICATOR FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK C. lVHITE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

DIVISION-INDICATOR FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,576, dated May 10,1904-.

Application filed June 1, 1903. Serial No. 159,460. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WHITE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State ofConnecticut, have invented a new and useful Division-Indicator forMechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following, together withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification sufliciently full, clear,and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mechanism for indicating a dividing positionin the scale of the music-sheet and tracker and is applicable toautopneumatic music playing instruments wherein the pneumatic actionsfor the bass and treble portions or other divisions are separated andeach section provided with separately operative accentuation mechanisms,the prime object of my present invention being to provide a device,marker, or indicating finger or arm supported upon the instrument casingor frame and extending over the perforated music-sheet adjacent to thetracker and having means for indicating the relation ofthenote-perforations or devices controlled thereby to the position ofthe dividing-partition employed within the pneumatic action, wind-chest,or flushing-chamber and the respective devices for effectingaccentuation of notes at either side of said partition; also, to providea division-indicating means that can be retracted, raised, or displacedto facilitate the introduction and removal of the musicspools. Theseobjects I attain by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein at one end with a head -piece or hingin g bracket 5,adapted for attachment to the front portion 1 of the instrument-casin g,while its other end is adapted to project forward over the winding-roll2, tracker 6, and music-sheet 7 nearly to the music roll or spool 8 andis formed with a narrow or laterally-flattened end portion 9, thatserves as a linear indicating means or dividing-sight between adjacentrows of note-perforations in the scale of the music-sheet or tracker.The attaching-bracket is best formed with forwardly-projecting ears,between which the end of the arm 3 is supported and retained by atransversely-disposed pivot 10, so that the arm can be swung upward, asindicated by dotted lines at 33 on Fig.2, to facilitate the introductionand removal of the music-spools. Suitable stoplugs 12 are provided forlimiting the downward swing of the arm, so that its linear guide portion9 will normally stand in longitudinal relation to the direction of feedand in close proximity to, but not in contact with, the surface of themusic-sheet. The hinging-joint is best provided with a spring-washer orfriction device 15, inserted between the hingesurface on the ear andside of the arm to afford a degree of friction that will hold the arm atadjusted positions, while permitting it to be raised and depressed bythe hand of the operator as desired. 7

This division-indicating device is disposed above the tracker 6 at suchposition between the sides 14 of the spool-frame that its marker or end9 bears the same relation to the scale of note-perforations of themusic-sheet that the dividing-partition within the instrument bears tothe scale of pneumatic actions controlled by the respectiveperforations. In

practice this position may be between notes E and ,F above middle G,that being a satisfactory point of division; but the invention is notconfined to that particular position, but can be used at such positionas may in any instance be required.

In the operation as the music-sheet passes from the spool 8 to and overthe tracker 6 the overlying indicating member, standing stationary abovethe advancing music-sheet, constantly denotes the predetermined intervalin the scale of note-perforations which corresponds with the position ofthe division in the instrument action, and thereby enables the operatorto readily perceive which side of the division-line any particularmelody-note perforation, as 21 or 22, or any note requiring accent, isto be played, and this beforeit reaches the tracker-orifices, andthus'enabling him to intelligently manipulate the accentuationmechanisms for the respective divisions of the action, the advantages ofwhich will be readily understood by those conversant with the art. Themelody-note perforations can be specially distinguished by markings onthe sheet, as at 21 and 22.

I am aware that modifications in the form and arrangement of thedivision-indicator can be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the nature and scope of the invention as expressed in theclaims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to the special form ofembodiment shown.

hat I claim as of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. In combination with the spool-frame, casing, tracker, andmusic-sheet, in amechanical musical instrument; a division-indicatingdevice consisting of an arm or finger having at one end means whereby itis affixed upon the instrument-casing, its other end extended over thetracker adjacent to the surface of the music-sheet, and havinga lateraledge constantly disposed longitudinally parallel with the direction ofmovement of the sheet, said lateral edge serving as an indicating memberin fixed or constant relation to a predetermined interval in the scaleof note-perforations on a sheet.

2. In combination with the tracker and perforatedmusicsl1eet, adivision-indicator comprising a hinged arm or index-bar mounted upon thecasing and extendingover the tracker and music-sheet, anattaching-bracket within which said arm is pivotally supported to swingup and down, and a stop for limiting the downward swing of said arm whenits free end is adjacent to the music-sheet.

In a mechanical musical instrument ofthe characterdescribed, thecombination, with the tracker, and traveling music-sheet; of adivision-indicating device provided with a sightguiding member at thefront of the tracker and adjacently overlying the music-sheet at or inalinement with a predetermined interval in the scale ofnote-perforations, and means supporting said device upon a stationarypart of the instrument and retaining the sight-guiding member atposition for constantly denoting the relative alinement of saidpredetermined interval as the music-sheetis advanced over the tracker.

4. In an autopneumatic music-playing instrument, the combination with asystem of pneumatic actions, means dividing said system into a pluralityof separately-controllable sections, a tracker, a perforatedmusic-sheet, and mechanism for propelling said music-sheet; of anindicating device provided with a longitudinal member disposed adjacentto the mu sic-sheet at the front of the tracker, for representing adivision position in the scale of the music-sheet perforationscorresponding to the division of the pnuematic action of the instrument.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with the frame orcasing, the tracker, the music-spool, perforated musicsheet, and themusic winding or receiving roll; of an overhanging member mounted uponthe frame or casing, and having a sight-guiding part or marker overlyingthe music-sheet at the front of the tracker, for indicating a divisionin the scale of its perforations, and means for retaining said member ina definite position upon the casing.

6. The combination, with an automatic music-playing instrument havingits pneumatic actions for the upper and lower registers divided intoseparate sections, and provided with a tracker, a perforatedmusic-sheet, and means for advancing said music-sheet; of a division-marker or indicating means independent of the music-sheet, at apredetermined position adjacent to the surface thereof, and disposed inlongitudinal alinement with a space between rows of perforations, at anintermediate position in the scale thereof correspending with theposition of the division in the pneumatic action, for the purpose setforth.

7. In combination with the tracker, perforated music-sheet, and meansfor propelling said music-sheet, in a mechanical musical instrument; adivision-imlicator consisting of an elevatable metal arm having a lineardefining part as described, an attaching-bracket secured upon the frontof the casing and having hinging ears to which the end of said arm ispivoted, and a sprii'ig-washer or friction device arranged between thehinge-joint surfaces for retaining the arm at position of adjustnumt.

\Vitness my hand this 28th day of May, 1903.

FRANK (I. \VH ITIC.

Vitnesses:

STANLEY B. \Vnrrn, Answer G. KUn'ULn.

IIO

